Freelancing Gods 2013

A couple of weeks ago, some dear friends of mine started a campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for their cafe. Now, in most situations, you’d be correct to question whether such a campaign deserves to be on Kickstarter – why should people chip in to see a cafe come into being?

However, Kinyei’s cafe is quite special. To begin with, it’s in the town of Battambang, one of the regional hubs of Cambodia. And it’s not just a cafe – Kinyei are creating a space for co-working, collaboration and social ventures. They are supporting local Khmer entrepreneurs and community leaders in building businesses, running social awareness campaigns, hosting concerts, and conducting workshops. The introductory video does an excellent job at providing some context:

Kinyei have already been doing amazing things in Battambang – but this cafe will help them grow, and assist them in enabling local Khmer to grab opportunities with both hands. Cambodia is inundated with charities and aid organisations, and it’s extremely important that the Khmer people are given opportunities to take command of their lives.

So, if you’ve got some spare cash lying around after Christmas, perhaps you’d like to send it Kinyei’s way – it will definitely be put to good use.